# 1 - - Published in Pilot-Tribune, June 21, 2005

RICHARD G. LUETTEL, 60

(veteran)

Richard G. Luettel, 60, of Fort Calhoun, died Friday, June 17, 2005 in Omaha.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, at Sievers-Sprick Funeral Home in Fort Calhoun. A rosary service will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun. The funeral mass will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, at St. John’s. Interment will be in the Fort Calhoun Cemetery.

Richard Gregory Luettel was born Sept. 3, 1944 in Petersburg to Lawrence and Florence Luettel.

On Sept. 3, 1973, he married Rita Schmitt at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Elgin.

Mr. Luettel was a member of the Fort Calhoun American Legion Post No. 348 and the 40 and 8.

He is survived by his wife, Rita; sons, Benjamin of Ames; Matthew of Fort Calhoun; daughter, Allison Luettel of Baltimore, Md.; parfents, Lawrence and Florence Luettel of Petersburg; sisters, Louella Commerford of Denver, Colo.; and Kathy Hoffman of Grand Junction, Colo.; brothers, Larry of Albion, and Joe and Ken of Petersburg; mother- and father-in-law, Norbert and Peggy Schmitt of Elgin; many other family members and friends.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Louise and Fred Spieker; and Ben and Mary Luettel.

Memorials are suggested to St. Michael Benedictine High School or to the family.

# 2 - Omaha World-Herald, JUne 21, 2005

LUETTEL - Richard Gregory, age 60, of Ft. Calhoun. Survived by wife, Rita, Ft. Calhoun; son, Benjamin, Ames, IA; daughter, Allison Luettel, Baltimore, MD; son, Matthew of Ft. Calhoun; parents, Lawrence and Florence Luettel, Petersburg, NE; sister, Louella Commerford, Denver, CO; brother, Larry, Albion, NE; sister, Kathy Hoffmann, Grand Junction, CO; brothers Joe and Ken, Petersburg, NE; mother- and father-in-law, Norbert and Peggy Schmitt, Elgin, NE; many other family members and friends.

VISITATION will be Tuesday at 5 – 8:30 PM with Rosary Service at 7:00 PM. FUNERAL MASS will be Wednesday at 11:00 AM, both at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Ft. Calhoun, NE. Interment Ft. Calhoun Cemetery. In lieu of traditional remembrances, memorials auggested to Mt. Michael Benedictine High School and to the family.

SIEVERS-SPRICK, Ft. Calhoun, NE 402-468-5678

# 3 - - Omaha World-Herald, June 20, 2005

RETIRED LINEMAN LUETTEL, 60, WAS KNOWN AS HARD WORKER by Josefina Loza, World-Herald Staff Writer

Richard Luettel was a hard worker.

He served as a foreman for a local communications company, drove a shuttle bus for the University of Nebraska at Omaha and managed 12 acres of land.

Before that, he spent more than 30 years working as a lineman for the Omaha Public Power District.

Luettel, 60, was killed Friday while directing traffic at the intersection of 120th and State Streets.

He and another NebCon Inc. employee were installing cables when a dump truck swerved to avoid a collision and flipped onto Luettel, who died at the scene.

Luettel joined NebCon only three weeks before the accident to earn a little extra cash, said Rick Schmitt, a relative and colleague.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Neb.

Luettel was born and raised in Petersburg, Neb. Shortly after graduating from high school, he joined the Army. He was stationed in Germany and returned to his hometown in 1964.

He married Rita Schmitt in 1973 and moved to Omaha to join OPPD. The couple moved to Fort Calhoun in 1977.

He retired from the power company last year but continued to keep busy with house work and volunteering at Mount Michael School.

“He couldn’t sit still. He always had to be busy," said his wife. “It’s no surprise he worked until the day that he died.”

Besides his wife, he is survived by sons Benjamin of Ames, Iowa; and Matthew of Fort Calhoun; daughter Allison Luettel of Baltimore; parents Lawrence and Florence Luettel of Petersburg; sisters Louella Conmmerford of Denver and Kathy Hoffmann of Grand Junction, Colo.; and brothers Larry of Albion, Neb. and Joe and Ken, both of Petersburg.